While apologizing in advance for responding off topic to wahoo's off topic post-this must be a text version of the bully’s “kick a man when he’s (perceived to be) down” syndrome. I am talking about the recent flurry of insults about GM workers, as if they are not as diverse as employees of any employer who hires many people.
I am from a “GM family” who has always had someone working at GM, ever since they were the Samson Tractor Company. I recall quite a few years ago when the Gazette did a story on the original sit-down strikers, my uncle was highlighted. Both grandfathers worked for GM, all before it was GM. None of them were drinkers. (...or did the drinking not start until the whole plant got the GM name, or maybe my family were the only ones immune?)
Being from a GM family and circle of friends, the stories of drinking are not foreign to me. But they are the exception, not the rule. Well, six or more GM people I personally know of do drink once a week, one ounce of wine at communion. Regularly and religiously. Literally. Care to spread another story based on that? I thought not. It’s not controversial. Just like the employees I’ve heard of bringing their Bibles to work.
I had a “relative of a relative” who used to work for the Gazette about 15-20 years ago (or was it WCLO?) who was an alcoholic. How come it never occurred to me then that our local news entity employed a bunch of drunks? The quality of the work, for one thing, and common sense for another. Try the latter sometime, maybe a light bulb will go on somewhere.
Does anyone really think that big, powerful GM cannot control what goes on in any of its facilities, and has no power to keep several thousand people from carousing around drunk while attempting to put their required bolt in a vehicle once in a while? Union or no union, that’s just plain asinine. Where do all the vehicles come from, the car fairy? Even the union wants the decent and principled workers to be members of their organization, and occasionally has to put up with the dues paying riff raff. Happily, they are not as inclined to any more. Those strong members are the ones who will help both sides to succeed. Why do so many purchasers request that their vehicle comes from the Janesville plant?
Those people who “know” that the place is filled with lazy drunks doing nothing obviously are just personally familiar with that crowd and that’s their source of information.(note the personality traits probably evident in the chosen name of the poster I'm replying to: "wahoo") I’m proud to say that I know the others.

Are you sleeping, Sandman?
Comparing organizations like Law Enforcement to a Newspaper/Communications company is not even feasible.
Question to ponder: Do you trust the newspaper as intimately as you trust the Department of Justice?
The public and U.S. Legal system rely on the presupposition that the Department of Justice will not make flagrant errors; if they do, innocent people can be incarcerated for life.

If the paper reports the news incorrectly, someone doesn't go to prison over it.

The lab worker sounds like he/she should work for GM. I have seen many workers come in drunk.

The existing open records laws provide a lot of fodder for private news services to investigate and report on public organizations actions and employees. With an eye toward improving (and proving) your own organization's credibility, in fairness and in the interest of parity, I challenge the Gazette, Inc to report the complaint/discipline/termination statistics for Gazette and parent company employees over that same 2002-2006 period.

Boy, that was news worthy! Eye roll.